Friday, June 12, 2015

Be Successful with Houseplants in an Apartment

Just because you live in an apartment doesn't meant you can't exercise your green thumb. Or become an expert gardener if so far your thumb has been more on the brown side. Follow About.com's tips to successfully keep plants alive in your#apartment.

Figure out what the humidity level is in your apartment and then find out what type of plant does best in that environment. Tropical plants will do best in a humid apartment, but even if your home is more arid, you can add moisture by putting gravel in the bottom of the pot and placing the pot in a dish filled with water. Using a water bottle to spritz leaves also can help plants who need more humidity to grow well.

Over-watering can cause the roots of your plants to rot. Plants can also die if their roots aren't property drained on a regular basis. You can use rocks to help keep your plant's pot from becoming too wet. Also, let the soil dry a little before you pull the watering can out again to prevent drowning your plants.

Light is also absolutely necessary for plants to thrive. If your apartment doesn't get a lot of natural light, you might be better off avoiding live plants. If you do get light, look into what sorts of plants would be best and whether they require direct sunlight, partial sunlight, or shade. Then place them accordingly.

Using the correct amount of fertilizer is important for healthy plants. Usually, adding a water soluble fertilizer to your plant three times during the growing period will help it grow just the right amount to avoid frequent re-plantings or bugs.

If you really have trouble keeping plants alive, choose more hearty species like snake plants, African violets, and aloe.

Finally, once plants are in a location they are thriving in, don't move them! Plants like to stay in one place and if you move them around, they may start dying.

Need help finding an apartment with lots of fantastic natural light, perfect for gardening? Give A Plus Apartments a call today at 512-231-1400.